Research focused on the nexus of public health and aging encourages conceptualization of critical inter-relationships among disease processes, aging, disability, and the nature of health itself. The proposed research training program, Public Health and Aging, now in its ninth year, seeks five additional years. Trainees are drawn from School of Public Health Departments of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Health Management & Policy, and Health Behavior and Education, and from social behavioral sciences such as sociology, psychology and health professions including pharmacy and nursing. Post-doctoral candidates are recruited nationally. The program provides coursework, research training and socialization during training normally lasting two years. Nine pre-doctoral candidates (the same number as in the previous five years) and four post-doctoral candidates (one less than in the previous five years) would be trained. Demand is affected by other School and University training grants and our expectation that some doctoral trainees will obtain alternative funding. Only trainees who can be matched with a core faculty mentor with common interests are chosen. Mentors guide development of a research plan, course selection from an approved list (if additional coursework is appropriate), publication and proposal writing. Trainees are professionally socialized by working with their mentor on joint research and publications. Exposure to other researchers and trainees is through multidisciplinary seminars in the School and the Institute of Gerontology, and attendance at national professional society meetings where post-doctoral candidates also present papers. In the coming period, we will sponsor a Public Health and Aging journal club and annual symposium intended to build program identity and cohesion. More than thirty faculty from the School of Public Health and other schools devote a major portion of their research and teaching activities to aging and are faculty of this program. The University of Michigan offers a such variety of research opportunities and research training in aging including resources, support and collegial interaction from the IoG, the Michigan Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Older Americans Independence Center housed in the School of Medicine Geriatrics Center, the Institute for Social Research, the Population Studies Center and many other campus programs. Postdocs are provided with office space, a computer, secretarial and other support in the School of Public Health. Program direction is provided by a director, co-director and an executive committee comprised of representatives from the School of Public Health departments involved.
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